A Second String Bills Team

[Allen2D̶i̶g̶g̶s̶TBD]

If Feliciano, Lamp, and Boettger are all backups, then who are our starting guards?

[Rocky Landing]

4 minutes ago, Bangarang said:

Thats a 2 win roster at best.

Disagree. If Spencer Brown turns out to be serviceable, that would be a middling O-line. Then there is a mediocre (at worst) RB, decent TE, competent WR corp (Davis, and McK make plays). And, not a terrible defense. If Rousseau pans out, that's a solid D-line. 

 

And also-- Mitch Trubisky would be the best QB in the division.

[Bangarang]

3 minutes ago, Rocky Landing said:

Disagree. If Spencer Brown turns out to be serviceable, that would be a middling O-line. Then there is a mediocre (at worst) RB, decent TE, competent WR corp (Davis, and McK make plays). And, not a terrible defense. If Rousseau pans out, that's a solid D-line. 

 

And also-- Mitch Trubisky would be the best QB in the division.

Sorry, that team sucks if that’s the squad you’re going with. 
 

2 wins..max

[Rocky Landing]

9 minutes ago, Allen2Diggs said:

If Feliciano, Lamp, and Boettger are all backups, then who are our starting guards?

I'm looking at current starters vs. backups. Most pundits are giving Ford the upper edge to start at LG. Feel free to replace Boettger with Ford as a backup-- I won't be heartbroken. Lamp has not yet earned a starting spot, and Feliciano has been our backup center for the last two seasons.

[MJS]

8 minutes ago, Bangarang said:

Sorry, that team sucks if that’s the squad you’re going with. 
 

2 wins..max

I say you're wrong. Now what? I guess we cancel each other out.

[Patrick Duffy]

5 minutes ago, MJS said:

I say you're wrong. Now what? I guess we cancel each other out.

Yeah I would say MT at QB and that list at 5 wins. 

[JohnBonhamRocks]

2 hours ago, Mango said:

This looks like a roster from the Dick Jauron years.

My thought exactly

[DCofNC]

Let’s get real, a full team of back ups is getting rolled by most any team.  The one advantage the Bills do have is MT at backup, to me, he’s the best backup in the league, he’s not the guy you WANT to start, but he is better than Tyrod ever was and there were plenty of people arguing Tyrod was the solution at QB.  The nice part is, if Josh is out, the whole game plan does not have to be altered.   It’s a nice place to be in for once.  I sure hope it’s not the case, but the guy could be a Nick Foles type, where you don’t fall apart if the starter goes down.

[Patrick Duffy]

3 minutes ago, DCofNC said:

Let’s get real, a full team of back ups is getting rolled by most any team.  The one advantage the Bills do have is MT at backup, to me, he’s the best backup in the league, he’s not the guy you WANT to start, but he is better than Tyrod ever was and there were plenty of people arguing Tyrod was the solution at QB.  The nice part is, if Josh is out, the whole game plan does not have to be altered.   It’s a nice place to be in for once.  I sure hope it’s not the case, but the guy could be a Nick Foles type, where you don’t fall apart if the starter goes down.

 

That may be mostly true,but not so sure that would be the case against that awful supporting cast Allen had his rookie season. 

[Bangarang]

1 hour ago, MJS said:

I say you're wrong. Now what? I guess we cancel each other out.

You’re wrong about me being wrong. 

[Philo]

2 hours ago, Rocky Landing said:

There was a game, midseason (I can't remember which game it was-- maybe you do) where it looked like Klein just flipped a switch to a much higher level, and he sustained it for the rest of the season. I wish I could remember which game it was.

 

It was the Seahawks game by my recollection. 

[Patrick Duffy]

2 hours ago, Rocky Landing said:

There was a game, midseason (I can't remember which game it was-- maybe you do) where it looked like Klein just flipped a switch to a much higher level, and he sustained it for the rest of the season. I wish I could remember which game it was.

Yeah was wild.... remember all the  ("Klein blows, Klein with another missed tackle, or OMG get Klein the f**k outta there") talk came to a stop rather quickly it seemed. 

[NoSaint]

4 hours ago, Rocky Landing said:

This probably isn't worth its own thread, but I've been discussing with friends who are fans of other teams how important depth is to a team, and how this will be especially important with the upcoming 17 game season. This Bills team is deeper than any one I can remember, and I suspect its depth stacks up to maybe any other team in the league. 

 

So, I thought it would be an interesting exercise during this slow offseason, to look at what a Bills team would look like, made up entirely of depth players. Some of you may take issue with some the players I've got as second string-- which is fine. I'm interested in the discussion. The competition for depth on this team is fierce. And also, several of these players are in the conversation for starting positions, and certainly, some of them will be starters come September. Anyone who has a different opinion of what the Bills second string would currently look like, I want to hear it. But-- prove me wrong-- such a Bills team would be in serious contention for the AFCE. Not favored, perhaps... but not the Jets, either.

 

OFFENSE:

QB: Mitch Trubisky

RT: Ryan Bates

RG: Forrest Lamp

C : Jon Feliciano

LG: Ike Boettger

LT: Spenser Brown

WR#1: Gabriel Davis

WR#2: Jake Kumerow or Duke Williams

WR#2: Isaiah McKenzie

TE: Jacob Hollister

RB: Singletary or Moss or Breida (It could be any one of them!)

 

DEFENSE:

DE: Efe Obada

DT: Harrison Phillips

DT: Justin Zimmer

DE: Greg Rousseau

LB: AJ Klein

LB: Tyrel Dodson

S: Jaquan Johnson

S: Damar Hamlin

CB: Dane Jackson

CB: Rachad Wildgoose

NCB: Siran Neal

would be taken to the wood shed weekly.

 

 

[BigAl2526]

There's a decent chance that Dane Jackson beats out Levi Wallace.  There's enough talent there one way or another to win a fair number of games on the Bills schedule, but not enough to take them to the playoffs.

[NoSaint]

1 hour ago, DCofNC said:

Let’s get real, a full team of back ups is getting rolled by most any team.  The one advantage the Bills do have is MT at backup, to me, he’s the best backup in the league, he’s not the guy you WANT to start, but he is better than Tyrod ever was and there were plenty of people arguing Tyrod was the solution at QB.  The nice part is, if Josh is out, the whole game plan does not have to be altered.   It’s a nice place to be in for once.  I sure hope it’s not the case, but the guy could be a Nick Foles type, where you don’t fall apart if the starter goes down.

he’s fine as a backup. 
 

but in this scenario he has no weapons, no line, and will be playing from behind. 
 

the premise is constructed around all of the players generally belonging in the league, and any one of them being capable to contribute to a team. But none of the guys are cornerstones that just win matchups every single play. And you need those guys.

[Motorin']

3 hours ago, Bangarang said:

Thats a 2 win roster at best.

 

Against every other teams 2nd string? It might just be a Super Bowl favorite. 

[RyanC883]

this is better than many of our drought year teams for sure.  

[Rocky Landing]

44 minutes ago, NoSaint said:

he’s fine as a backup. 
 

but in this scenario he has no weapons, no line, and will be playing from behind. 
 

the premise is constructed around all of the players generally belonging in the league, and any one of them being capable to contribute to a team. But none of the guys are cornerstones that just win matchups every single play. And you need those guys.

"Cornerstones" like Stevie Johnson, or CJ Spiller, or, IDK, Scott Chandler? Is it such a crazy premise to say that the current 2021 Bills second string is as good, or maybe even better than the 2013, 6-10 Bills led by... EJ Manuel? In a division facing Brady*, and Tannehill, and a Rex Ryan led Jets with Geno Smith that went 8-8?

 

In the '21 season, the Bills will face three teams in their division that are ALL in the midst of a rebuild, and, for a couple, no small amount of denial. The Dolphins will be a solid(ish) team led by a QB who played 2020 scared. The Pats* defense will be fierce, and their offense will be anemic. The Jets will likely be trash.

 

In the '21 AFCE division, the Bills second string O-line would be average, the RBs would be average, the defense would be average, Hollister would be average, but Davis would be top tier, the rest of the WRs would be solid, and Trubisky would clearly be the best QB.

 

Again, as I posited in my OP, probably not favored to win the division, but certainly contenders. And, certainly NOT a two win team, as @Bangarang suggested. 6-8 wins in a 17 game season, and possibly better.

[Mango]

5 hours ago, Rocky Landing said:

I was thinking the same thing, at first, but then I remembered how well Siran Neal plays nickel. I thought about moving him to safety, also (where he was drafted, iirc). But, as he is listed as CB, I thought I'd keep him there. I also think LB is one of our thinnest positions, after Klein.

I thought the defense was better in the second half of the year with Milano healthy (obviously) but also when they played 3 LB sets, with Klein playing the line/downhill. It seemed like we got away from that down the stretch. If I recall correctly we saw a lot vs. Baltimore, then not much again vs lIndy and KC. 

 

(I have zero data to back this up.)

[Rocky Landing]

Just now, Mango said:

I thought the defense was better in the second half of the year with Milano healthy (obviously) but also when they played 3 LB sets, with Klein playing the line/downhill. It seemed like we got away from that down the stretch. If I recall correctly we saw a lot vs. Baltimore, then not much again vs lIndy and KC. 

 

(I have zero data to back this up.)

Coincidentally, I just rewatched the Indy game last night on GamePass, and I noticed them playing a lot more 4-3 than I had remembered. Klein had a big role in that game. But, I think you're right-- once Klein really started to contribute, I think they started swapping him out with Taron J. a lot more. Taron was obviously a lot faster, and could bullet past the LOS, and was clearly better in coverage-- I think even against TEs. But Klein really started to become the "run-stuffer" that he had been sold as.

 

For the record, I spent much of the season wishing they would play more 4-3, as I wasn't really sold on Taron Johnson. But, in retrospect, and as the year wore on, he really had one helluva season. But, when Edmunds, and/or Milano weren't 100%, he really needed a lot more help than he got. When the Bills played 4-2-5, they really needed those "2" to be spot on for the scheme to be effective.